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(Not applicable.)
The present invention relates to luggage and, more particularly, to luggage having a packing board divider.
Luggage having compartments to store common travel items such as clothes, toiletries and other accessories are well known in the art. Similarly, luggage having flat panels or packing boards for dividing the storable volume of the luggage and providing an additional packing surface are also well known in the art, see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,432 issued to Carpenter et al. It is also well known that such packing boards may have pockets or compartments, see e.g. the above mentioned patent and U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,509 to Chisholm, U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,223 to Tomilinson and U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,570 to Winner, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
One problem with conventional packing boards is that they can hamper access to items stored beneath the boards. This can make it difficult to pack and unpack items at the bottom of the luggage. To overcome this problem, luggage has been developed with removable packing boards, see e.g. the ""432 patent mentioned above. Not only does this allow for unfettered access to the full storage volume of the luggage, it also allows items stored in compartments on the packing board to be carried or stored separate from the main housing of the luggage. While this can be an advantage, the packing board and items it contains are more readily forgotten and lost when separated from the luggage. Moreover, to carry or store the items in the packing board apart from the main housing, one must also carry the board itself, which can be awkward given its generally panel-like construction. Further, the packing board does not provide its compartmentalizing and supporting functions when removed from the luggage for use as a separate carrying case.
Accordingly, there is a need for luggage with an improved packing board.
The present invention provides luggage with an adjustable packing board that remains fastened to the luggage yet can be moved up and down as well as split in two and swung out to the ends of the luggage to provide unfettered access to the luggage when packing and unpacking.
In particular, the invention is a packing board for dividing the storage volume of luggage and supporting items such as clothing, accessories and the like. The packing board includes two panels each attached at opposite ends of the luggage. The panels are removably fastened together between their attachment ends. The panels are adjustably attached at the opposite ends of the luggage so that the packing board can be moved with respect to the luggage.
In one preferred form, the panels of the packing board may be separated from one another and pivoted or swung out to the ends of the luggage in addition to, or instead of, being moved up and down relative to the luggage. Preferably, the panels are connected together via a hook and loop fastener and to the luggage by adjustable drawstrings. The drawstrings or other similar structure act as tensioners for adjustably urging the packing board toward items stored within the volume of luggage for compressing and securing same.
In another form, one of the panels includes at least one compartment for storing items. Preferably, the panel includes two compartments, one permanently fixed thereto and one that is detachable. The detachable compartment preferably is a transparent and water resistant zippered case.
One aspect of the invention includes a luggage for carrying clothing, accessories and the like having a housing with a bottom and sides hinged and zippered to a top. A packing board as described above is sized to fit within the housing. A pair of drawstrings are each fixed at one end to opposite ends of the housing bottom and slidably connected to the attachment ends of first and second panels of the packing board. When the drawstrings are loosened the packing board can be moved into and out of the housing and alternatively or additionally the first and second panels can be separated and swung away from each other. Preferably, the first panel includes a snap-on detachable zippered case and a fixed zippered case.
It is therefore a principle object of this invention to provide luggage which includes a packing board that can be quickly and easily moved out of the way when packing and unpacking the luggage. This is accomplished by attaching the packing board to the luggage by adjustable drawstrings. Additionally, this is accomplished by pulling the panels apart and rotating them up and out to the ends of the luggage. The panels can be swung out to the ends when the drawstrings are loosened so that the panels can rest completely outside of the luggage. Alternatively, when the drawstrings are tightened so as to hold the packing board in place within the luggage, the panels can be separated and pivoted upright within the luggage for quick access to items below the packing board.
It is a further object of the invention to allow the packing board to be moved without being physically separated from the bag. This is accomplished by the split panel construction and the adjustable drawstring connection in which one end of the drawstrings is fixed to the bottom of the luggage.
Another object of the invention is to provide a packing board with fixed and detachable storage compartments. This is accomplished by having zippered cases snapped to and permanently affixed to one or both of the panels.
In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.